The world witnessed a tragic mass shooting at a Jewish celebration in Sydney, Australia, that left at least 15 people dead and scores injured on Sunday.
The attack occurred during a Hanukkah event attended by an estimated 2,000 Jews from the Sydney area. According to authorities, one of the gunmen was killed and 38 individuals were wounded, including at least 13 in critical condition.
President Donald Trump described the incident as “a purely antisemitic attack” during a White House Christmas gathering. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the deadly assault on social media. King Charles III, monarch of Australia and other Commonwealth nations, expressed his appallment at the “most dreadful antisemitic terrorist attack” on Jewish people. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese labeled the act as “an act of evil, antisemitism, terrorism.”
In a dramatic moment, footage captured one bystander tackling and disarming a gunman before turning the weapon on him. The hero was shot during the incident but saved countless lives. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns hailed the individual as “a genuine hero” who saved the community.
Lachlan Moran, 32, from Melbourne, recounted his experience: “You heard a few pops, and I freaked out and ran away. … Everyone just dropped all their possessions and everything and were running and people were crying.”
The attack was described as coming in the wake of a horrific shooting at Brown University.
